Popular English Session Tunes Book

Popular English Session Tunes for Traditional Musicians

Popular English Session Tunes Book is part of Dave Mallinson’s Pub Session Series, bringing together a carefully selected collection of popular tunes frequently heard in English pub sessions, folk festivals, ceilidhs and traditional music gatherings.

This book has a slightly more adventurous flavour than some of the earlier titles in the series, with a bias towards more exotic, slightly more obscure tunes alongside some of Dave Mallinson’s personal favourites. Several of the airs towards the end are particularly challenging, making this a useful collection for players who want to stretch their repertoire.

Quick Overview

This 32-page tune book is ideal for melodeon players, accordionists, fiddlers, whistle players and other traditional musicians looking to build a practical English session repertoire used at folk festivals, pub sessions and ceilidhs across the UK. The tunes are arranged in order of difficulty and progress towards more demanding material as the book develops.

Available Formats

• Book Only
• Optional companion CD available separately

Part of the Pub Session Series

This book is one of a wider set of tune collections designed to cover the core repertoire played in English pub sessions.

• Easy Peasy Tunes
• English Country Dance Tunes
• English Pub Session Tunes
• Popular English Session Tunes
• 101 Easy Irish Session Tunes

Across the four main Pub Session Series books, 404 tunes are presented as a practical reference collection for English pub sessions and traditional dance music. Only 14 notes are required to play all 404 tunes, making the series especially useful for D/G melodeon players and other traditional musicians.

Particularly Useful for D/G Melodeon Players

Because the tunes follow the practical fourteen-note approach described by Dave Mallinson, the collection works especially well for D/G melodeon players without accidentals. This makes it accessible for traditional English session playing while still offering enough depth and challenge for more experienced musicians.

Why This Book Is Useful

The book gathers popular tunes that crop up in English sessions, while also offering a slightly broader and more characterful selection for players who want to move beyond the most obvious standards.

For musicians building confidence in sessions, ceilidhs, barn dances or folk festivals, this collection provides a practical working repertoire with a clear sense of progression.

Ideal For

• English pub session musicians
• D/G melodeon players
• Accordion players building traditional repertoire
• Fiddlers, whistle players and flute players
• Ceilidh and barn dance musicians
• Morris musicians
• Players wanting slightly more challenging session tunes

Musical Style and Repertoire

The repertoire includes a wide range of traditional dance and session tunes, including polkas, hornpipes, jigs, reels, waltzes and other widely played session standards.

The settings are intended to be practical and playable, with chord suggestions included as a guide. As with all traditional music, players can adapt the tunes, chords and phrasing to suit their own style, instrument and local session tradition.

Book Details

• Title: Popular English Session Tunes Book
• Author: Dave Mallinson
• Publisher: Dave Mallinson Publications
• Series: Pub Session Series
• SKU: AM304
• Optional CD Product Code: AM304C
• Label Number: DMPCD0605
• Format: Book Only, with optional companion CD available
• Pages: 32
• ISBN: 9781899512669

Full Tune List

Explore More Tune Books

Browse our full range of accordion, melodeon and folk music books here.

You may also find our English Folk Music Books & Tune Collections collection useful if you are building traditional English repertoire.

Why Buy from Squeezebox Marketplace?

At Squeezebox Marketplace, we carefully select tune books and learning resources that are genuinely useful for traditional musicians. We specialise in melodeons, accordions and folk instruments, with a strong focus on real-world session and dance music.